Out of every 1,000 teenage girls in America, around 29 had a baby in 2012. This number is the lowest that it’s been for the last few years, but it’s still pretty high. Especially in cities, like Philadelphia, raising a child can be hard across the board, not just for girls between 15 and 19.

Philadelphia’s city government, and the government of Pennsylvania, understand that. They also understand that teenage pregnancies, and unplanned pregnancies in general, affect socioeconomically disadvantaged families more than anyone else. In order to help, Philadelphia offers numerous programs, including free health clinics, to provide pregnant women of all ages the essential prenatal care they need.

We created this guide to pregnancy help for women in Philadelphia for everyone. It focuses on services for teens, because that’s a big concern in the city, but most of the clinics and government programs we’ll talk about are for pregnant adults, too. Almost all are free, or at least “pay-what-you-can.”

Help For Pregnant Women In Philadelphia

At the HOPE Pregnancy Center, you can get a free pregnancy test if you’re only noticing the early signs of pregnancy, along with some other essential services if you know for sure. HOPE is in Fairmount on Broad. Here’s their address:

 

Making A Decision

Once you know whether or not you’re pregnant, it’s time to begin making a decision. What are you going to do? It’s important to remember that you don’t have to decide today, or tomorrow – you can take your time.

But starting to consider your options, abortion, adoption, and parenting, right now can relieve a lot of stress in the future. Visit our page here to start learning about your choices online, or give us a call 24 / 7 at 1-855-711-1609. Our experienced pregnancy counselors just want to talk. We don’t have an agenda, and we won’t push a particular viewpoint. Just information and a compassionate ear. Our counseling services are always offered for free.

Free Or Low Cost Prenatal Care In Philadelphia

Whether or not you decide to parent your baby, it’s essential to get quality prenatal care for you and your baby.

Luckily, the City of Philadelphia’s Department of Public Health operates 8 different health centers, all of which offer prenatal care at low cost. All of their fees are based on income, so if you really can’t pay, you won’t have to. They can also help you find health insurance that you can afford. Here’s a list of where they are, so you can find the health center closest to you:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another wonderful organization we’d like to highlight is the African Family Health Organization (AFHO). Their “Commencement Sains,” or Healthy Beginnings, program was set up specifically to help African and Caribbean immigrants and refugees receive necessary pre and post-natal care, free of charge. Many undocumented immigrants, especially pregnant women, don’t get the support they need, because they’re afraid of being deported. But that won’t happen. You can find AFHO here:

  • African Family Health Organization
    4415 Chestnut St., Suite 202
    Philadelphia, PA 19104
    p: (215) 546-1232
    http://www.afaho.net/